RICE

RICE

BOILED RICE

Ingredients:  Rice 500 gm Salt to taste Method: • Pick, wash and soak rice. • Bring water to boil • Add rice, salt and simmer • When rice is cooked, drain water and serve hot. 

STEAMED RICE 

Ingredients:  Rice 500 gm Bay leaf 5 gm Cinnamon 5 gm Fat 50 gm Cardamom 5 gm Cloves 5 gm Salt to taste Method: • Wash and clean rice, soak it. • Heat fat, add whole spices and rice. Fry. • Add water to rice in 2:1 ratio. Add salt and cook • Finish cooking in oven. • Serve hot.

Lemon Rice

Ingredients: Rice 1 cup Oil 2 tbsp. Mustard Seeds 1 tsp. Urad Daal 1 tsp. Chana Daal 1 tsp. Cashews handful Raisins handful Turmeric pinch mixed vegetables. 1 cup Lemon 1

Preparation: Cook rice. • Heat oil and add all other ingredients except for the lemon. Fry as appropriate. • Mix stuff in pan with rice. Squeeze the lemon and add the juice to the rice.

Tomato Rice

Ingredients: Rice 1 cup Tomatoes 1/2 can Green Pepper 1 Onions 1-2 Green Chillies 2-3 Ginger 1/2 inch Garlic 2-3 cloves Fresh coriander bunch Random spices

Preparation: Fry cut onions, green pepper, ginger, garlic, random spices (cloves, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves) and salt for 5 - 10 minutes. • Add tomatoes, sauté for a while. • Add washed and drained rice, fry for 5 minutes or so. Add more water and cook until rice is done.

Extra fancy: Top rice with cheese, tomato and green pepper slices (rings, e.g.) and bake for 20 - 25 minutes at 250o. 

CURD RICE INGREDIENTS

 Ingredients: Rice 400 gm Fresh curd 600 ml Milk 400 ml Salt to taste Ginger 10 gm Green Chillies 10 gm Mustard seeds 4 gm Asafoetida A pinch Curry leaves 1 sprig Oil 30 ml 

Preparation: Boil rice, add salt and cook slightly • Mix with curd, add boiled and cooked milk chop green chillies and ginger • Heat oil, fry mustered seed and asafoetida. • Add curry leaves and chopped ingredients sauté for 2 minutes. • Switch off the fire and add the rice, curd mixture to the pan • Mix well • Serve with pickles

Plain Savoury Rice - Namkin Chawal

Ingredients: Serves: 4 21/2 cups long grain rice 4 cups hot water 2 teaspoons ghee 2 1/2 teaspoons salt

Method: Wash rice well and soak I hour in cold water. Drain in colander while bringing water, ghee and salt to the boil in a heavy saucepan with a well-fitting lid. Add rice, stir and bring quickly to the boil. Turn heat very low, cover tightly and cook, without lifting lid or stirring, for 20-25 minutes. Lift lid to allow steam to escape for about 5 minutes, and then lightly fluff up rice with fork, taking care not to mash the grains, which will be firm, separate and perfectly cooked. Dish up using a slotted metal spoon rather than a wooden spoon, which will crush the grains. Serve with curries or other spiced dishes.

Festive Spiced Rice - Rajasthani Pilau

The State of Rajasthan is beautiful. Costumes in vivid colours dazzle and enchant. Even the food reflects this love of colour, dishes being garnished with the bright reds and greens that Rajasthani folk delight in. 

Ingredients: Serves: 4-6 2 1/2 cups long grain rice 3 tablespoons ghee or oil 2 medium onions, finely sliced 2 sticks cinnamon 6 cardamom pods, bruised 6 whole cloves 10 whole black pepper 4 cups hot stock or water Salt to taste

Method: If the rice needs washing, wash well in several changes of cold water and leave to soak for 1 hour. Then drain in a colander for at least 30 minutes. Heat ghee or oil in a large, heavy saucepan and fry the sliced onion with the cinnamon, cardamoms, black pepper and cloves until the onions are golden, stirring frequently so that they brown evenly. Add the rice and fry for about 3 minutes, then pour in the stock or water. Add the salt and stir well while bringing quickly to the boil. Turn heat very low, cover tightly and cook without lifting lid for 25 minutes. Uncover, allow steam to escape for a few minutes, remove whole spices. Serve hot with curry.

Rice with Peas - Mattar Pilau (Uttar Pradesh)

Ingredients: Serves: 4-5 1 1/2 cups long grain rice 1 tablespoon ghee 4 whole cloves 1 small cinnamon stick 3 or 4 cardamom pods, bruised 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric 1 1/2cups shelled green peas and diced carrots 2 1/2 teaspoons salt 3 1/4 cups hot water

Preparation: Wash the rice well and leave to soak in cold water for 30 minutes, then drain well. Heat the ghee in a heavy saucepan and fry the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom pods and cumin seeds, for 1 minute. Add turmeric and rice and stir over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add peas/carrots, salt and hot water. Bring quickly to the boil, then turn heat very low, cover with a well-fitting lid and cook for 25-30 minutes without lifting lid or stirring. Uncover at end of cooking time to allow steam to escape for about 3 minutes. Remove whole spices, fork rice grains lightly and serve hot with meat or vegetable curries. 

Rice with Sesame Seeds - Til Bhath

Ingredients: Serves: 4-6 2'h cups long grain rice 4 cups water 2'/s teaspoons salt 2 tablespoons light sesame oil 1 teaspoon mustard seeds 12 curry leaves 1 cup sesame seeds lemon juice to taste

Preparation: Put rice, water and salt into a heavy saucepan, bring to the boil. Cover with well- fitting lid, turn heat very low and cook for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and leave while preparing seasoning.Heat Sesame Oil in small saucepan and fry the mustard seeds and curry leaves until leaves are brown and Mustard Seeds pop. Add the sesame seeds and keep stirring over medium heat until the seeds are evenly golden brown. Mix this seasoning together with the hot cooked rice and add a little lemon juice to taste. Serve with curried vegetables, fresh chutney and fried pappadoms. 

Spicy Rice Maharashtrian Style - Masala Bhath - (Maharashtra)

Ingredients: Serves: 6 3 cups long grain rice 3 tablespoons ghee 3 tablespoons oil 3 large onions, finely sliced 5 cardamom pods, bruised 2 small sticks cinnamon 6 whole cloves 20 whole black peppercorns 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric 5 cups hot water 3 teaspoons salt 1/2 cup raw peanuts/cashew nuts, split in halves 2 sprigs fresh curry leaves or 20 dried curry leaves 3 fresh green chillies, seeded and sliced 2 teaspoons black mustard seeds

Preparation: Wash rice well and leave to drain in colander for at least 30 minutes. In a large, heavy saucepan heat half the ghee and oil and fry the onions and whole spices until onions are golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove half the onions and set aside for garnish. Add turmeric and rice to pan and fry, stirring with slotted metal spoon, until all the grains are coated with the ghee. Add the hot water and salt, stir well and bring to the boil. Cover with tightly fitting lid and turn heat very low. Cook for 20-25 minutes without lifting lid. Heat remaining ghee and oil in a small pan and fry the peanuts/cashew nuts until golden. Remove with slotted spoon. Fry the curry leaves, green chillies and mustard seeds until the seeds pop. Pour over the rice, lightly fork through. Dish up rice and garnish with the fried cashews, chopped coriander leaves and grated fresh coconut.

Rice with Yogurt - Thair Sadam

In southern: India, this dish is often served as the finale to a festive meal, but it may be presented as the meal itself, accompanied by curries and pickles. 

Ingredients: Serves: 4-6 2 1/2 cups long grain rice 4 cups water Salt to taste 2 tablespoons ghee or oil 1 teaspoon black cumin seeds 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds 1 teaspoon urad dhal 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida, optional 3 fresh red or green chillies, seeded and sliced 3 cups yogurt salt to taste

Preparation: Put well washed and drained rice into a saucepan with the water and salt. Bring quickly to the boil, then cover tightly, turn heat very low and cook for 20 minutes without lifting lid. In another pan heat the ghee and fry the black cumin, mustard, dhal, asafoetida (if used) and chillies until the mustard seeds pop and the dhal is golden brown. Remove from heat, garnish into the yogurt and add a little salt to taste. Mix thoroughly with the cooked rice. 

Rice in Coconut Milk - Nariyal Bhath

Ingredients: Serves: 6 2 1/2 cups long grain rice 2 tablespoons ghee 2 medium onions, finely sliced 10 curry leaves 10 whole black peppercorns 1 small stick cinnamon 6 cardamom pods, bruised 6 whole cloves a few cashew nuts 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric 4 cups coconut milk 2 1/2 teaspoons salt Garnish: 1/2 cup fried cashew nuts

Preparation: Wash rice and drain for at least 30 minutes. Heat the ghee in a heavy saucepan and fry the onions, curry leaves and whole spices, cashew nuts, stirring frequently, until the onions are golden. Add the turmeric and the rice and fry, stirring, until the rice is coated with the ghee, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the coconut milk and salt, stir and bring to the boil, then cover with a well-fitting lid, turn heat very low and cook for 25 minutes or until the coconut milk is absorbed. Serve the rice hot, garnished with fried cashews and accompanied by curries and sambals.

Saffron Pilaf - ( Zaffarani Pulao )

Ingredients: 2 cups long grain rice, preferably Basmati 3 to 4 fresh ripe peaches, or 1 (16 oz.) can peaches in syrup, drained 6 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil 1/4 cup slivered blanched almonds 1/4 cup unsalted pistachios 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 (3.inch long) cinnamon stick 1 cup milk 1/4 cup seedless raisins 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/2 teaspoon powdered saffron Salt, to taste

Preparation: Soak the rice in 3 cups cold water for 30 minutes. Drain the rice, reserving the water, and set aside. Cut the peaches lengthwise into 1/2.inch slices. Heat the ghee or oil in a large saucepan over moderate heat and sauté the peach slices until golden on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. In the same ghee, sauté the almonds until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove and drain. Repeat with the pistachios. Set the almonds and pistachios aside. Add the onion to the ghee remaining in the pan and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the cinnamon stick and fry for 1 minute. Add the rice and stir constantly for 2 minutes, until the rice begins to brown and is thoroughly coated with the ghee. Add the reserved water, milk, raisins, cardamom, saffron and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to sit covered for 15 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork, remove and discard the cinnamon stick, and transfer to a serving platter. Surround the rice with the reserved peach slices and sprinkle with the almonds and pistachios.